Doe Bay Music Festival organizers launch new Carnation music festival

The organizers of the very popular Doe Bay Music Festival on Orcas Island are expanding, launching a new festival this summer in Carnation called the Timber Outdoor Music Festival. (Image courtesy Facebook - Timber Outdoor Music Festival)

The organizers of the very popular Doe Bay Music Festival on Orcas Island are expanding, launching a new festival this summer in Carnation.

Organizer Kevin Sur joined Air-Raid host Aaron Roden for a conversation about the joy they’ve found in hosting the annual Doe Bay Festival is just seeing what musicians and the fans make of it.

“Fill it with a bunch of great artists and people, and let them create the story,” says Sur. “It’s really worked out.”

Tickets to Doe Bay have sold out quickly in the last few years. But this new program at Tolt MacDonald Park will have more room for fans.

“Doe Bay is about 40 acres. This is 540 acres,” says Sur, who also points out the location makes it much more accessible. “It’s closer to home. It’s just 40 minutes away.”

King County Parks is also a player in the new Timber Outdoor Music Festival. Sur says King County Parks actually approached them with the idea and really were instrumental in making it happen.

“We’re not this huge company. We’re so grassroots that everything we make just has to be made with our bare hands. They made it work so that we can bring this festival there.”

With many of the same organizers as the Doe Bay Festival, Sur says fans can expect a similar style, with a heavy emphasis on regional indie music. While the festival emphasizes music, Sur says they’re also trying to find other ways to make the most of the experience.

“We’re also working on a lot of things outside of just the music programming that are going to be pretty unique to this too, just using our creative brains to try to come up with ways to just make the ultimate weekend experience for people who love music, have an appreciation for the outdoors, and want to camp.”

Among the non-music entertainment are programs from astronomy groups as well as an astrophysicist from the University of Washington giving a star talk.

Sur says he’s “insanely excited” for the first show and can’t wait to see what all the people on hand make of it.

Tickets for the first-ever Timber Outdoor Music Festival are available for sale now, with camping arrangements ranging from general camping to yurts.